“People are clearly making the decision that if there’s nothing for them here, they’ll have opportunities elsewhere,” says Monique Louque.

Like Louis Green: a former New Orleans cook, he’s learning the ropes at a suburban Atlanta restaurant. A church gave him six months of free housing and a van. “It was a blessing and just gives me an opportunity,” he says.

There are some workers who’ve moved in to satisfy demand. They’re mostly Hispanic, raising a controversy on its own. Some of them line up to do the most menial of jobs, like clean up, and signs offer them $10 dollars an hour.

Workers are demanding— and in many cases— getting a higher wage than they were pre-Katrina. This is putting one more strain on businesses trying to rebuild... and get its working class to come home.